Fall of the Dark Crusader
by OfManyHorror
Summary: The end is approaching, and Batman knows it. All will be revealed as The Dark Knight approaches his final hour. Love will bloom and wilt away. Friendships will be torn, and one man must face his darkest hour...Alone.


Fall of the Dark Crusader

Introduction: Strange

The room was as dark as night, and one could not see further than their own nose. He struggled, pulling on whatever bound him to the chair he sat on. But it was to no avail. Worriedly, he looked around, trying to find something, anything to help him escape. Sadly, however, his eyes had not yet adapted to the darkness.

Suddenly, a light flickered in front of him. A buzzing noise soon accompanied it, and then a television screen flickered. It was nothing but static for mere moments, before a familiar, yet sinister, figure appeared on it. It was a man, wearing spectacles and a lab coat, indicating scientific knowledge. He had no hair on his scalp, but a rather pronounced beard surrounded his jaw line.

"Are you feeling comfortable, Mr Wayne?" The figure smirked.

"Strange." The captured man hissed. "What do you want?"

"Nothing much. I simply wish for you to listen." The glass eyed man beckoned.

"Then start talking."

The bearded mans smile grew evermore crooked. "At this moment in time, Gotham is a cesspool. A rotting corpse of it's former glory. And no matter how hard you try to save it, the people merely neglect you, casting you out as a vigilante and a danger."

"I don't care for your words, Strange. All I need to know is what you want."

"What I want, Mr Wayne, is your cooperation." The man's voice was serious now, no longer bearing any hint of mockery. "I wish for us both to come to an agreement. We will purify the city of Gotham! Rebuild it as a marvellous wonder! A place that, no matter who you are, you'll feel welcome and at home!" The man stopped his ranting to take a breath, before continuing. "But I cannot do such a thing without the assistance of you…Batman."

"I'll never help you!" Batman spat. Strange's face lit up, knowing this would be the Dark Knight's response.

"Now, now, Mr Wayne. Not even if it's for a noble cause?"

Batman thought for a second, but knew better than to trust such a traitorous enemy.

"You're lying. I know you, Strange. I know you enough to-"

"And I know you, Batman!" Strange's voice called from behind as the screen once again turned to static. "I know you better than you'll ever know me." Strange then placed a hand on Batman's shoulder and held up a syringe in the other. "Let us proceed with our…Negotiations."

All seemed to go black, but Batman could still feel all the pain Strange inflicted on him, who laughed madly as he did so.

Chapter One: Nightmares

"Master Bruce…" A distant voice called. "Master Bruce." It called again. Finally, it shouted, "Master Bruce!"

With that, Gotham's favourite bachelor opened his eyes and sat up suddenly. He studied his surroundings, and saw a worried Alfred, his faithful butler, by his side.

"Are you alright, Master Bruce?" The elderly man spoke.

"Alfred…" Wayne started. He rubbed his head tiredly. "I overslept, didn't I?"

Alfred left Wayne's side for a moment, grabbing something from the windowsill.

"I'm afraid so, sir." Alfred placed a tray of breakfast on Wayne's lap. "But worry not. I phoned Mr Fox to inform the board that you weren't feeling well."

"And he believed you?" Wayne asked, stunned.

Alfred then shook his head, making his way to the door. "Of course not. But he knows better than to question you and your reasons."

"I see." Wayne responded simply.

"I'll leave you to wake up properly then, sir." Alfred informed him as he shut the door.

Wayne smiled. "Thank you, Alfred."

As Wayne tucked into his breakfast, he couldn't help but worry about his recurring dreams. For the past few months, he had nothing but nightmare's, horrific visions that would not only haunt him in his sleep but his waking hours, as well. Being Batman must have been getting to him. He decided that lack of sleep was to blame.

Once he had finished his food, he carried the tray down to the kitchen only to see Alfred on the way, who seemed to be getting ready to go somewhere.

"Plans, Alfred?" Wayne frowned.

As Alfred wrapped his neck with a scarf, he answered, "No, Master Wayne. I'm merely getting some groceries, as we seem to be running low on a few things."

Wayne nodded. "Alright."

"And you, sir?" Alfred questioned. Wayne gave him a confused look, to which Alfred explained, "Plans, sir. Do you have any plan for today?"

Wayne shook his head. "I'm afraid not."

Alfred nodded. "But you will be going on patrol tonight, yes?"

"As always." Wayne sighed.

As Alfred walked to the front door, he commented, "Maybe you should take a rest, sir. Have a little time for recuperation. How about finding a date and going out for dinner?"

"Batman has no time to rest. And certainly no time for the ladies."

"I'm not talking about Batman, sir." Alfred opened the door, letting a sudden chill breeze through into the manor. "I'm talking about Bruce Wayne." And with that, Alfred was gone, leaving a pondering Bruce.

Maybe he did need a break. A holiday, maybe? A date? Or was that a step too far? He'd done nothing but work as Batman for some time now, and to do such tedious work non-stop must have been affecting him negatively, surely. Maybe, just maybe, it was time to call it quits for a few days. Perhaps a break would do him, and Batman, a world of good…But tonight, he needed to don the cowl at least one last time before doing such a thing.

End of Chapter

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: **_**That's it for this first chapter. It's rather short, if I do say so myself, but I promise future ones will be longer. And this was done at night, at which time I was tired, so forgive me for bad grammar and such. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter and keep an eye open for future ones. And remember: REVIEW! Peace out. **_


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